Unfortunatelyforthemarechale，comteJean
　　presentedhimselfbeforeshedid。
　　Hecametoinformme，thatmy
　　husbandofwhosequittingToulouseIhadforgottentotellyou
　　hadagainarrivedinParis。
　　Ididnotdisguisethevexationwhich
　　thispieceofintelligenceexcitedinme。
　　“AndwhereforehascomteGuillaumereturnedtoParis？“
　　inquiredI，angrily。
　　“Becauseheisafraid。“
　　“Afraidofwhat？“
　　repliedI。
　　“Ofbeingmurdered，“answeredcomteJean:“itisamosthorrible
　　andauthenticstory。
　　Imaginetoyourselfthedangersofhis
　　situation:somebrigands，whohaveadesignonhislife，have
　　writtenhimananonymousbillet，inwhichtheyprotesttheywill
　　certainlymurderhim，unlesshedeposits50，000livresinacertain
　　place。
　　Youmaysupposehisterror；moneyhehadnone，neither
　　washiscreditsufficientlygoodtoenablehimtoborrowany。
　　Asalastandonlychance，hethrewhimselfintoacarriage，and
　　hastened，tremblingly，toimploreyourassistance。“
　　“AndIamquitecertainyouwillnotwithholdyoursfromhim，“
　　answeredI
　　“Youareperfectlyright，“criedhe，“butunfortunatelyjustnow
　　IhavenotasinglecrownIcancallmyown；sothatitrests
　　withyoualone，mydearestsister，tosavethelifeofthis
　　haplesscomteduBarry。“
　　“Iamextremelydistressed，mydearbrother-in-law，“repliedI，
　　“thatIamjustaspoor，andasunabletoaffordthenecessary
　　aidasyourself；mypurseisquiteempty。“
　　“Faith，mydearsister-in-law，Iamnotsurprisedatthatifyou
　　convertachinavaseintoareceptacleforyourbanknotes。“
　　Sayingthis，hedrewabundleofnotesfromthehiding-placein
　　whichIhaddepositedthem。
　　“Doyouknow，“continuedcomte
　　Jean，“Ireallythinkweshallfindmoneyenoughhere。“
　　Hebegan
　　tocountthem:andwhenhehadfinishedhesaid，“Mydearsister，
　　neitheryourhusbandnormyselfwishtoimportuneyou，orput
　　youtoanyinconvenience，thereforeyoushallmerelyobligehim
　　withtheloanofthese50，000livrestoextricatehimfromhis
　　presentperil；theyshallbefaithfullyandquicklyrestoredto
　　you，andanoteofhandgivenyouforthatpurposeifyoudesire
　　it。“
　　Sosaying，hedividedthemoneyintotwoparts，replaced
　　oneinthevase，andpocketedtheother。
　　Iwasveryindignantatthecoolimpudencewithwhichthiswas
　　done，andmypatiencehadwellnighforsakenme:however，I
　　restrainedmyself；andIwashappyenoughthatIcouldsofar
　　conquermyself。
　　MyreproacheswouldnothaveinducedcomteJean
　　togivemebackmymoney，andwouldonlyhaverousedhisviolence；
　　which，whenonceexcited，foundventinlanguagesovehementand
　　energetic，thatIdidnotdesiretohearanymoreofitthanI
　　couldhelp。
　　Atthesemomentsheselectednotthepolitestexpressions，
　　butthosewhichwerethestrongest:andbesides，suchwasthe
　　ungovernablenatureofcomteJean’stemper，thatonceroused，he
　　wouldhavetreatedthekinghimselfwithaslittleconsideration
　　ashedidme。
　　Still，heneverdeliberatelyinsultedme，nordid
　　hecomposethoseinsultingversesrespectingme，whichwereprinted
　　ashis，in“。“
　　Thiswould
　　havebeenanindignityIwouldquicklyhavecausedhimtorepent
　　havingoffered。
　　“Well，“inquiredI，“areyouverygladtoseeyourbrotherinParis？“
　　’No，’ponmysoul！“
　　returnedhe；“butsinceheishere，wemust
　　dothebestwecanwithhim；hewasveryanxioustoseehis
　　sister-in-lawandniece。
　　Hesaystheformerisuglyassin，and
　　thelatteralmostashandsomeasyou。“
　　“Verygallant，“repliedI；“buttellme，comteJean，doesthis
　　elegantcomplimentproceedfrommyhusbandoryourself？“
　　Wewerejusttheninterruptedbythearrivalofthe
　　marechale，
　　andcomteJeanretired。
　　“Well，mydear，“shebegan，“haveyouseenM。deSartines，and
　　didyouspeaktohimrespectingthose100，000livres？“
　　“Oh，yes，“repliedI，“hegavethembacktome；butIhave
　　alreadyhadhalfofthemstolenfromme。“
　　“BycomteJean，I’llengage，“criedshe。
　　“Uponmyword，that
　　manisaperfectspendthrift，aprodigal；who，ifyoudonottake
　　greatcare，willcertainlyruinyou。
　　Andwhatwillyoudowith
　　theremaining50，000livres，mydearfriend；wherewillyou
　　placethem？“
　　“Inyourhands，mydearmarechale；’tishismajesty’scommand。“
　　“Tothatcommand，“answeredshe，“Imustperforcesubmit“；and，
　　takingthebundleofnotes，shecontinued，“Assurehismajesty
　　thatitwilleverbemygreatestprideandpleasuretoobeyhis
　　slightestwish。
　　Myrespectforhisorderscanonlybeequalled
　　bymytenderfriendshipforherwhoisthebeareroftheroyal
　　mandate。“
　　Then，deliberatelyputtingthemoneyinherpocket，
　　sheexclaimed，“YoumustownthatcomteJeanisagreatrogue。“
　　alarms——Anofthe——ComteJean
　　endeavourstodirecttheking’sideas——AsupperatTrianon——Table
　　talk——Thekingisseizedwithillness——Hisconversationwithme——The
　　joiner’sdaughterandthesmall-pox——Mydespair——ConductofLa
　　Martinierethesurgeon
　　Ihadoccasionallysomeunaccountablewhimsandcaprices。
　　Among
　　otherfolliesItookitintomyheadtobecomejealousofthe
　　duchessedeCosse，undertheideathatthedukewouldreturnto
　　her，andthatIshouldnolongerpossesshisaffections。
　　Nowthe
　　causeofthisextravagantconductwasthefirmnesswithwhich
　　madamedeCosserefusedalloverturestovisitme，andIhad
　　reallybecomesospoiledandpetted，thatIcouldnotbebrought
　　tounderstandthereasonablenessoftheduchessedeCosserefusing
　　tosanctionherrivalbyherpresence。
　　YonmayperceivethatIhadnotcarriedmyheroic
　　projectswith
　　regardtomadamedeCosseintoexecution。
　　Upontheseoccasions，
　　thepersonmosttobepitiedwastheduke，whomImadeanswerable
　　forthedignifiedandvirtuousconductofhiswife。
　　Myinjustice
　　drovehimnearlytodespair，andheusedeverykindandsensible
　　argumenttoconvincemeofmyerror，asthoughithadbeenpossible
　　foronesoheadstrongandmisguidedasmyselftolistentoor
　　comprehendthelanguageofreason。
　　Irepliedtohistenderand
　　beseechingepistlesbyeverycuttingandmortifyingremark；ina
　　word，allcommonsenseappearedtohaveforsakenme。
　　Ourquarrel
　　wasstronglysuspectedbypartofthecourt；buttheextreme
　　prudenceandforbearanceofM。deCossepreventedtheirsuppositions
　　fromeverobtaininganyconfirmation。
　　Butthiswasnottheonly
　　subjectIhadforannoyance。
　　Ontheonehand，myemissaries
　　informedmethatthekingstillcontinuedtovisitthebaronessde
　　New——k，althoughwitheveryappearanceofcautionandmystery，
　　bytheassistanceandconnivanceoftheducdeDuras，whohad
　　givenmehissolemnpromiseneveragaintomeddlewiththe
　　affair。
　　Theofthefurnishedme
　　likewisewithalongaccountofthemanyvisitspaidbyhis
　　majestytoherestablishment。
　　Thefactwas，thekingcouldnot
　　besatisfiedwithoutacontinualvariety，andhispassion，which
　　ultimatelydestroyedhim，appearedtohavecomeononlyashe
　　advancedinyears。
　　Allthesethingscreatedinmymindanextremeagitationandan
　　alarm，and，improbableasthethingappearedeventomyself，there
　　weremomentswhenItrembledlestIshouldbesupplantedeither
　　bythebaronessorsome-freshobjectoftheking’scaprice；and
　　againacolddreadstole
　　overmeasIanticipatedtheprobability
　　ofthehealthofLouisXVfallingasacrificetotheirregularity
　　ofhislife。
　　Itwaswellknownthroughoutthechateau，thatLa
　　Martiniere，theking’ssurgeon，hadstronglyrecommendedavery
　　temperatecourseoflife，asessentiallynecessarytorecruithis
　　constitution，wastedbysomanyexcesses，andhadevengoneso
　　farastorecommendhisnolongerhavingamistress；thisthe
　　courtiersconstruedintoaprohibitionagainsthispossessinga
　　friendofanyothersexthanhisown；formyownpart，I
　　experiencedveryslightapprehensionsofbeingdismissed，forI
　　wellknewthatLouisXVreckonedtoomuchonmysocietyto
　　permitmyleavingthecourt，andifone，themoretender，part
　　ofourunionweredissolved，etiquettecouldnolongerobjectto
　　mypresence。
　　StilltheadviceofLaMartinierewasfarfrom
　　givingmeareasonforcongratulation，buttheseminorgrievances
　　weresoontobeswallowedupinonefatalcatastrophe，bywhich
　　thehonours，andpleasuresofVersailleswereforevertornfromme。
　　Theofthe，fearingthatsomeofthe
　　subordinatemembersofthatestablishmentmightbringmeintimation
　　ofwhatwasgoingontherewithouthercognizance，cameoneday
　　toapprizemethathismajestyhadfallendesperatelyinlove
　　withayoungorphanofhighbirth，whomchancehadconducted
　　withinthewallsofherharem；thattoanextraordinaryshareof
　　beauty，Julieforthatwasthenameofmyrivalunitedthemost
　　insatiateambition；heraimsweredirectedtoreducingtheking
　　intoastateofthemostabsolutebondage，“andhe，“saidmadame，
　　“bidsfairtobecomeallthatthedesigninggirlwouldhavehim。“
　　Juliefeignedthemostviolentloveforherroyaladmirer，nay
　　shedidnothesitatetocarryherlanguageandcaressesfar
　　beyondthestrictrulesofdecency；hermannerswerethoseofone
　　accustomedtothemostpolishedsociety，whilstherexpressions
　　werepeculiarlyadaptedtopleaseonewho，liketheking，hada
　　peculiarrelishforeverythingthatwasindecentorincorrect。
　　Hismajestyeithervisitedherdailyorsentforhertothe
　　chateau。
　　IheardlikewisefromM。d’Aiguillon，that
　　theking